Illness/Sickness: Black lump on gill?

[AEG]

Can anyone tell me what's going on with this black lump on one of my axolotl's gills? Is it some kind of fungus? Not sure how worried I should be... It's been there for a while, and worried that gill in particular is not looking too healthy - seems like minimal frills? The others all look normal though, and he otherwise seems healthy and happy, eating well etc. The tank is well cycled and I regularly test for amonia / nitrites etc and all seems fine I think? He had a period in the summer when we were in heatwave when he was off his food and obviously not happy but that was short lived and temperature fine now (we're heading into winter now in London). Apart from that not aware of any problems. Have tried to take some pictures, sorry they're not great! Any advice would be very much appreciated!

 

[axolotl nerd]

Can anyone tell me what's going on with this black lump on one of my axolotl's gills? Is it some kind of fungus? Not sure how worried I should be... It's been there for a while, and worried that gill in particular is not looking too healthy - seems like minimal frills? The others all look normal though, and he otherwise seems healthy and happy, eating well etc. The tank is well cycled and I regularly test for amonia / nitrites etc and all seems fine I think? He had a period in the summer when we were in heatwave when he was off his food and obviously not happy but that was short lived and temperature fine now (we're heading into winter now in London). Apart from that not aware of any problems. Have tried to take some pictures, sorry they're not great! Any advice would be very much appreciated!

it looks almost infected or necrotic? i'm not sure, and not able to provide any veterinary advice without knowing for sure what it is, but i strongly suggest a visit to your local vet. is there a way he could have injured it? i'd check all tank decor for possible sharp edges and remove anything suspicious. if he has any tankmates, that could be an explanation. he could have been bitten and it went unnoticed. i don't think the heatwave is a direct cause, but it definitely didn't help and may have led to the wound being more susceptible to infection.
pictures of the tank, as well as pictures of the wound and his body as a whole would be helpful.
also, i strongly recommend tubbing him, and beginning tea baths.

 

[axolotl nerd]

just visited your profile and saw that he's had a gill fungus in the past, which may be connected. i can't say for certain, so summoning @wolfen

 

[wolfen]

the majority of mass on the gill is deformed growth, this includes the pink nodules, the white pieces could be mould, swab the infected gill with potassium permanganate.

 

[AEG]

Thank you! I've added a couple of extra photos taken today, trying to show the tank as well. You can probably see have had a bit of an issue with green algae on the tank glass - this happened in the summer when it was hot which makes sense, but much better now. Otherwise water parameters seem fine. Sand substrate - a couple of rocks and a slate cave, none of which have any sharp edges, a java fern attached so bog-wood, and a couple of small fake plants.
If it is deformed growth, and if I'm happy there is no white mould there, would that mean it's nothing too much to worry about? Thanks so much for the help (this is my son's axolotl - he is autistic and therefore I do most of the care - I'm very much a novice as you can probably tell...).

 

[axolotl nerd]

Thank you! I've added a couple of extra photos taken today, trying to show the tank as well. You can probably see have had a bit of an issue with green algae on the tank glass - this happened in the summer when it was hot which makes sense, but much better now. Otherwise water parameters seem fine. Sand substrate - a couple of rocks and a slate cave, none of which have any sharp edges, a java fern attached so bog-wood, and a couple of small fake plants.
If it is deformed growth, and if I'm happy there is no white mould there, would that mean it's nothing too much to worry about? Thanks so much for the help (this is my son's axolotl - he is autistic and therefore I do most of the care - I'm very much a novice as you can probably tell...).

what size is your tank? it looks small in the pictures, but it could just be perspective. all the tank decor sounds fine, not worried about that. i'm not entirely sure of what this is, and will therefore refrain from offering advice, but i'm sure someone wiser than i can advise you better.
on a final note- i'm also autistic, and a big part of autism is our strong bond with animals. i applaud you for caring so much about this axolotl and your son, and hope that the three of you are all doing well.

 

[wolfen]

provided you are fine with just monitoring your axolotl for now is okay, algae on surfaces is a sign of a healthy tank so nothing to worry about, the tank does have the appearance of being too small but because your axolotl is an adult it's not unexpected.
autistic people do tend to have a closer affinity to animals than people and axolotl can be an ideal pet, unfortunately this can also mean a need to constantly alter things that don't seam okay, which means although you are fine to monitor your son may be less inclined to do so and may be a bit angsty about it.

 

[axolotl nerd]

provided you are fine with just monitoring your axolotl for now is okay, algae on surfaces is a sign of a healthy tank so nothing to worry about, the tank does have the appearance of being too small but because your axolotl is an adult it's not unexpected.
autistic people do tend to have a closer affinity to animals than people and axolotl can be an ideal pet, unfortunately this can also mean a need to constantly alter things that don't seam okay, which means although you are fine to monitor your son may be less inclined to do so and may be a bit angsty about it.

this is true, i oftentimes find myself looking at my tank and feeling the need to do a water change even when one has already been done, or feed her when she has already been fed. i have to remind myself of this fairly often, and occasionally write it down on my wrist so i remember- but i haven't done an unnecessary water change or fed her more than twice a day in months. the same goes for plants- i used to overwater them because i was so eager to do something with them, which eventually killed them. it's a practice of self control, which can be difficult for a lot of neurodivergent individuals, but overall i think that my autism actually benefits my ability to care for axolotls because i have such a strong and long term special interest in it.

 

[AEG]

Thank you both so much for your advice & reassurance. I'll keep an eye on him but hopefully all OK. Have been thinking we probably need a bigger tank - he has grown so much since we got him nearly 2 years ago - currently have 56 litre so think we will need to go up a size...
Appreciate your comments re neurodiversity as well - especially nice to hear the positive aspects too. So true that my son has a very close attachment to his axolotl which is lovely - he really does adore him, but this does spill over into a lot of worry and anxiety, which is why I do most of the tank care / monitoring etc for him.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Thank you both so much for your advice & reassurance. I'll keep an eye on him but hopefully all OK. Have been thinking we probably need a bigger tank - he has grown so much since we got him nearly 2 years ago - currently have 56 litre so think we will need to go up a size...
Appreciate your comments re neurodiversity as well - especially nice to hear the positive aspects too. So true that my son has a very close attachment to his axolotl which is lovely - he really does adore him, but this does spill over into a lot of worry and anxiety, which is why I do most of the tank care / monitoring etc for him.

56 liters is about 15 gallons, axolotls need a 20 gallon long minimum. don't blame yourself for that too much though, i had mudkip in a ten gallon longer than i had intended to.
it's important to realize that autism and neurodiversity isn't being lesser- just different. his bond with his axolotl is probably one of the most important things to him as a person, so his anxiety makes a lot of sense. i think it's amazing of you to help out with his care.
i would communicate what wolfen said to your son, and emphasize that his axolotl is healthy and happy. i think it would be a good bonding exercise for the three of you to furnish his new tank when you get one- asking him his ideas for layout and decorations would be a great way to engage his special interest in axolotls.
much love,
ren

 

[axolotl nerd]

Thank you both so much for your advice & reassurance. I'll keep an eye on him but hopefully all OK. Have been thinking we probably need a bigger tank - he has grown so much since we got him nearly 2 years ago - currently have 56 litre so think we will need to go up a size...
Appreciate your comments re neurodiversity as well - especially nice to hear the positive aspects too. So true that my son has a very close attachment to his axolotl which is lovely - he really does adore him, but this does spill over into a lot of worry and anxiety, which is why I do most of the tank care / monitoring etc for him.

also- "he" seems to be a "she"!! might need a new name lol

 

[AEG]

also- "he" seems to be a "she"!! might need a new name lol

Ha ha, for some reason 'he' was just always referred to as 'he' without any questions ever being asked and it just sort of stuck - was named Ganon after the Zelda character (also much loved by my son!) so I don't think that's changing any time soon!
Great idea about making a new tank a joint project - thank you so much!

 

[axolotl nerd]

Ha ha, for some reason 'he' was just always referred to as 'he' without any questions ever being asked and it just sort of stuck - was named Ganon after the Zelda character (also much loved by my son!) so I don't think that's changing any time soon!
Great idea about making a new tank a joint project - thank you so much!

i thought my gal was a male when i first got her too lol
i like her name as it is